There was nothing to fear from him, however; he would be with the faithtul against the mutinous, and under all circumstanceswe might count upon him.

When the circle had been formed, Captain Len Guy spoke, without allowing any sign of discouragement to appear, and explained the position with the utmost frankness and lucidity, stating in the first place that it was absolutely necessary to lower the cargo to the coast and stow it away in one of the caverns.

Concerning the vital question of food, he stated that the supply of flour, preserved meat, and dried vegetables would suffice for the winter, however prolonged, and on that of fuel he was satisfied that we should not want for coal, provided it was not wasted; and it would be possible to economize it, as the hibernating waifs might brave the cold of the polar zone under a covering of snow and a roof of ice.
Was the captain's tone of security feigned?
I did not think so, especially as West approved of what he said.
A third question raised by Hearne remained, and was well calculated to arouse jealousy and anger among the crew.

It was the question of the use to be made of the only craft remaining to us.

Ought the boat to be kept for the needs of our hibernation, or used to enable us to return to the iceberg barrier?
Captain Len Guy would not pronounce upon this; he desired to postpone the decision for twenty-four or forty-eight hours.